The present disclosure relates generally to information handling systems, and more particularly to a virtual wireless network provided by information handling systems using virtual access controllers and virtual access points.
As the value and use of information continues to increase, individuals and businesses seek additional ways to process and store information. One option is an information handling system (IHS). An IHS generally processes, compiles, stores, and/or communicates information or data for business, personal, or other purposes. Because technology and information handling needs and requirements may vary between different applications, IHSs may also vary regarding what information is handled, how the information is handled, how much information is processed, stored, or communicated, and how quickly and efficiently the information may be processed, stored, or communicated. The variations in IHSs allow for IHSs to be general or configured for a specific user or specific use such as financial transaction processing, airline reservations, enterprise data storage, or global communications. In addition, IHSs may include a variety of hardware and software components that may be configured to process, store, and communicate information and may include one or more computer systems, data storage systems, and networking systems.
IHSs may be used with wireless networks such as, for example wireless Local Area Networks (LANs), in order to connect with each other and the Internet. In a typical wireless LAN deployments, a router is connected to the Internet, a wireless access controller is connected to the router, and one or more wireless access points may be connected to the wireless access controller directly or through a switch. The wireless access points connect to the wireless access controller within the same layer 2 segment in order to provide for centralized management of the wireless network via a single management entity (the wireless access controller). IHSs may then connect to each other and the Internet by connecting to one of the wireless access points. The wireless access controller may support the industry standard Control and Provisioning of Wireless Access Points Protocol (CAPWAP), which defines the interface between the wireless access controller and the wireless access points in order to simplify wireless LAN provisioning and management.
Some wireless access points are operable to support multiple wireless LANs that can segregate user groups or applications into different subnetworks, but that type of wireless access point functionality requires increased design and management complexity in the wireless access point, which increases the cost of the wireless access point and complicates its use.
Conventionally, physical wireless access controllers manage multiple physical wireless access points such that as the number of physical access points increase, the design complexity and management becomes cumbersome.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide an improved networking system.